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Medical Product Alert N°3/2024: Falsified (contaminated) Oxymorphone Hydrochloride 40mg Alert Summary This WHO Medical Product Alert refers to one batch of falsified Oxymorphone Hydrochloride 40mg. The falsified product was detected in the unregulated supply chain in Finland and reported to WHO in July 2024 by the Finnish Medicines Agency (FIMEA). Oxymorphone Hydrochloride is a semi-synthetic opioid used to treat moderate to severe pain. Laboratory analysis of samples of the falsified product, however, found that the Read more…

On July 31st, 24, BBC published an article on the devastating effects surrounding the online purchases of fake semaglutide – an active ingredient in legal drugs like Ozempic, a type 2 diabetes drug, and Wegovy, a weight loss drug. The article interviewed a member of Fight the Fakes Alliance, Oksana Pyzik, a professor at UCL School of Pharmacy. You can access the full BBC article here.   Semaglutide, the active ingredient in slimming drugs, has been Read more…

Our third SF Pulse Issue is out! SF Pulse is a bi-monthly newsletter that aims to elevate important issues and relevant stories shaping the ongoing fight against substandard and falsified medical products (SFs). The newest issue includes 7 important updates across many topics including:  A blog post from a financial company’s senior employee where he emphasizes the necessity of cross-sector collaboration against substandard and falsified medicines and the harm SFs have against all industries.  A Read more…

On July 12, 2024, the New York Times published an article on the rise of counterfeit Ozempic and highlighting the greater risk of buying drugs online. The article interviewed a member of Fight the Fake Alliance, Shabbir Imber Safdar, Executive Director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines. You can access the full NYTimes article here.  As Ozempic and other weight loss drugs grow in popularity, there is a growing concern regarding the accessibility of fake Read more…

On July 4, 2024, Swissinfo published an article on the growing problem of fake medicines on their front page. The article quotes a number of Fight the Fakes Alliance (FTFA) members including the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) and the Alliance itself.   The piece highlights that counterfeit drug sales have become one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the world. It is estimated to be worth between USD$200 billion and USD$432 Read more…

Fight the Fakes Alliance member, Adam Aspinall, recently attended the Global Health Security Conference in Sydney on behalf of Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV). At the conference, a forum that engages stakeholders to help achieve a healthier and safer world, Aspinall discussed the need to protect against substandard and falsified medical products on multiple occasions. During a breakfast meeting organized by the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership (GARDP) looking at how lessons from other Read more…

Our second SF Pulse Issue is out! SF Pulse is a bi-monthly newsletter that aims to elevate important issues and relevant stories shaping the ongoing fight against substandard and falsified medical products (SFs). Read the full issue here: https://bit.ly/3WJlWDL